Machine movable in all directions for driving piles and the like



Sept. 9, 1952 A. P. JOURDAIN 2,609,667 MACHINE MOVABLE IN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING PILES AND THE LIKE Filed March 14, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z /nv re 1:

Sept. 9, 1952 P JOURD A. AIN 2,609,667 7 MACHINE MOVABLE IN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING FILES AND THE LIKE Filed March 14, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 MW, dad C.

p 9, 1952 A P JOURDAIN 2,609,667

MACHINE Mo'vALE IN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING PILES AND THE LIKE Filed March 14. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 AG'EN r:

Sept. 9, 1952 A. P. JOURDAIN 7 MACHINE MOVABLE IN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING PILES AND THE LIKE Filed March 14, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 9, 1952 MACHINE MOVABLE IN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING PILES AND THE LIKE Andr Paul J ourdain, Liege, Belgium, assignor to Compagnie Internationale des Pieux Armes Frankignoul, Societe Anonyme, Liege, Belgium Application March 14, 1951, Serial No. 215,523

In France March 23, 1950 13 Claims.

The invention relates to a machine for driving piles and the like, which is capable of being displaced in all directions by its own means. While being designed more specially for the machines for driving and for pulling out piles, lining tubes, and so on, it applies to any heavy machines that should be able to be displaced on the ground.

The invention has for its object to establish a machine of this type which is provided with means enabling to effect the movements of the machine in all directions in a safe and expedi tious way.

According to the invention, the platform of the machine, on which the various components of the latter are mounted, is secured to one member of a vertical jack, whose axis passes at least approximately through the centre of gravity of the machine, and whose other member, which is movable axially with respect to the first member, is secured to a supporting plate positioned under the said platform, the upper face of the said plate being provided with a circular rolling track cooperating with a frame furnished with rollers which is connected to the said platform through vertical guide means which prevent relative angular movement of the said frame and the said platform, while permitting their relative vertical movement, the machine being moreover, provided with an enclosure connected to the said platform for relative longitudinal movement with respect thereto and provided with means for affording support for the machine on the ground when the said supporting base plate is cleared from the round.

Further according to the invention, the machine is provided with means for securing the stability thereof when it takes rest on the ground merely through the said base plate, by means of the said jack, such means forming a mechanical connection between the platform and frame provided with rollers, and including e. g. two pairs of vertical racks, secured to one of those component parts on either side of the vertical, longitudinal plane passing through the axis of the jack, each pair comprising two racks which are arranged at an equal distance from either side of the vertical, transverse plane passing through the axis of the jack and cooperating each with a toothed pinion rotatably supported by the other of the said component parts, the two pinions of a pair of racks being coupled by a positive connection such that any displacement of one pinion with respect to its rack necessarily causes a displacement of the other pinion in the same direc- 2 tion and of the same magnitude with respect to the rack thereof. Any tendency towards unbalance of the machine when the latter rests upon the supporting plate is thus automatically destroyed by the rack device.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the disclosure of one example of carrying out the invention, which will be given hereinafter with reference to the accompanying diagrammatical drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a part view in side elevation, partly in section, of a machine according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the bottom section of themachine;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical cross sectional view of the lower central section of the machine, and. r

Fig. 4 is a plan view of certain components" of Fig- 3.

The machine includes a platform i supporting the runner 2 which is sustained by means of stays 3 and serves for guiding the pile or the like to be driven into the ground. The platform also supports the engine, the winch, the pump and so on.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, the platform i rests by means of wheels 5 upon rails 5 provided in slides 6 rigid with an enclosure 'l.v A girder 8 suspended from the enclosure l by means of springs ID by which it is urged against the said enclosure through abutments 8a, which are preferably adjustable. Moreover, the enclosure '1 is connected to a girder 9 by meansof mechanical jacks H. The platform I may thus be displaced longitudinally by an amount corresponding to the length of the rails 5. The displacement may be eifected bymeans of a translating jack l2 located in the axis of the machine and connected on the one hand to the platform and on the other hand, at l3, to the enclosure 1.

Adjacent the centre of, gravity of the machine there is located a hydraulic jack the cylinder it of which is secured to a plate l5 rigid with the platform I, while the piston I6 thereof rests, by means of a thrust cap I! and a ball bearing is, upon a thrust washer I9 rigid with a supporting plate 20 intended to take rest on the ground. A nut 2| is secured to the endporticn of the piston rod I6 and retains the latter under the washer 9. The nut clamps a washer 22 against the inner face of a central extension of the thrust cap [7, the upper face of which bears upon a shoulder of the piston IS. The operating fluid is fed to the jack through pipe 23 leading to a p a p r At its upper face the plate is provided with a circular rolling track 24, on which are adapted to move rollers provided in any required numher on the frame 26. The latter is provided with a central sleeve 27 which surrounds, with slight frictional contact, a cylindrical sleeve 23 rigid with the platform I and surrounding in turn the jack is. Hooks 29, secured to the frame 26, en-

Four racks are secured by'means of base, plates 32 upon the frame 26 and are engaged in the guides 33 which are rigid with the platform l and have a U-shaped cross section. The racks cooperate with toothed pinions which are connected by pairs by means of a positive link. In the construction shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, the two left hand racks are each in mesh with a toothed sector 3% keyed upon a shaft 35, while the right handones are each in mesh with a pinion 35 keyed on a shafts? and in mesh with a toothed sector 33 keyed upon a shaft 39. The shafts 3?, 33 are mounted in heap lugs 58, Lil, 5-2 secured upon the platform Two parallel levers Q3, 34 are keyed on; the

shafts 35 and 39 respectively, and their free ends are pivoted to a connecting link 45.

When the machine is in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the jack [4 is operated, the piston It, the supporting plate 28 and the'frame 26 with the racks 3d are lowered until the plate 24! comes to rest on the ground, the platform i remaining stationary. The sectors 35, 3d and the pinion 36 effect a certain angular displacement, while the link l5 moves towards the right. :35

Upon continuation of the operation of the jack, the platform I and all the components supported thereon, including the enclosure 2 with the supporting girders 8, 9 are raised, so that the machine will rest solely upon the plate 22. Although the jack is located adjacent the centre of gravity, the machine will practically neverbe in perfect balance on its single fulcrum but no practical disadvantage will result from this condition due to the provision of the stabilizer mechanism Si, 34, 45, 38, 35, 36. In fact, should the machine tend to take a slanting position, there will be a stress imparted to the pinion 35 (or the sector 3d), which will tend to move the latter downwardly along its rack. However, the transmission 38, d5, 34 (or 45, (i8, 86) makes it sure that there will be applied at the same time a stress of the same magnitude'to the sector 34 (or to' the pinion 3S) which will likewise tend to displace the latter downwardly along its rack, so that the balance willfbemaintained automatically. The pairs of pinions 3 2, 36 and 38 'of the two sets of racks are preferably keyed upon a common shaft, 35, 37, 39, which simplifies the work of assemblying and ensure a perfect simultaneousness of the action of the two sets of racks, thus improving the stability of the whole.

Due to the fact that the racks are slidably engaged in guides 33, they not only form a part of the stabilizer mechanism, but moreover pro vide for the angular locking of the frame 25 with respect to the platform Moreover, the sleeves 27 and 28 also form a vertical guide which forms at the same time a housing for the jack.

After the machine has thus been raised it may have imparted to it a rotary motion during which the rollers 25 roll on the rolling track 2d. The rotation may be effectedby any means, e. g. by means of a jack pivoted to the platform i and arranged to be buttressed against an'abuta gage an outer flange 8B of the supporting plate cap being inturn rendered stationary in the angular direction with respect to piston it due to the nut 2| being tightened on the end portion of the central projection of the thrust cap. The angular motion of the piston with respect to the supporting plate 28 is made possible by the ball bearing I8. Owing to the fact that the upper face of the thrust washer i9 and the lower face of the supporting race of the ball bearing I8 are given a spherical shape, slight relative movements in a vertical plane are permitted without danger, such as are unavoidable in practice. The central sleeve d1 of the supporting plate 26, which carries the washer i9, is closed by' a removable bottom wall 48 and forms a tank which is filled withoil up to the level of the balls.

To ensure a correct distribution of the stresses during withdrawal of the tube or the like, the runner 2, carries two mechanical jacks ifi which are brought in contact with the girder 8 when such withdrawal is to be effected, so that the stresses on the runner will be transmitted to the said girder. The jacks 49 will be slightly cleared from the girder 8 during the other operations.

While the stabilizer system using racks, such as described above, is particularly advantageous, the machine according to the invention may be provided with other stabilizer systems forming a mechanical connection between the platform I and the frame 23 and making up automatically for any tendency towards unbalance of the machine, e. g. a stabilizer'including pivoted links. Such system may comprise more particularly two toothed sectors in mesh with each other, each secured to the end of a lever pivoted at an intermediate point to the platform 1, while its other end is pivoted to a link which is pivoted on the other hand to the frame 26. In this instance, special means should be provided for the mutual guidance of the platform and "of the frame in a vertical direction, which is not necessary with the system using racks.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the example described and illustrated, but that various structural modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A machine capable of being displaced in all directions for driving piles and the like, in which the platform of the machine is secured to one member of a vertical jack, the axis of which passes at least approximately through the centre of gravity of the machine and the other member of which, which is axially movable with respect to the first member, is secured to a supporting plate located under the said platform. the upper face of the said plate being provided with a circular rolling track cooperating with a frame provided with rollers which is connected to the said platform by vertical guide means which prevent relative angular displacement of the said frame and the said platform, while permitting their vertical relative movement, the ma-'- chine being moreover provided with an enclosure connected for relativelongitudinal movement to the said platform and furnished with means for affording support for the machine on the ground when the said supporting plate is cleared from the ground.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which a stabilizer system is mounted on the said platform and forms a mechanical connection between the latter and the said frame.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a mechanical connection between the platform and the frame provided with rollers, including two pairs of vertical racks secured upon one of the said component parts, on either side of the vertical longitudinal plane passing through the axis of the jack, each pair including two racks arranged at equal distances on either side of the vertical transverse plane passing through the axis of the jack and cooperating each with a toothed pinion supported for rotation by the other of the said component parts, the two pinions of a pair of racks being coupled with each other by a positive connection such that any displacement of one pinion with respect to its rack will necessarily cause a displacement of the other pinion in the same direction and of the same magnitude with respect to its rack.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the platform includes a cylindrical sleeve surrounding the jack and surrounded with slight frictional contact by a sleeve rigid with the frame provided with rollers.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the supportin plate and the frame provided with rollers are connected for small vertical play by means of hooks secured to the periphery of one of those component parts and engaging behind a peripheral flange of the other of the said component parts.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for supporting on the ground the enclosure connected for relative longitudinal movement to the platform are formed by girders, one at least of which is suspended from the said enclosure by means of springs by which it is urged against the said enclosure through abutment members, preferably adjustable.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the cylinder of the jack is secured to the platform, while the piston of the jack terminates in a cylindrical stem which passes across a thrust Washer rigid with the supporting plate, arresting means being provided on the end portion of the said stem projecting beyond the said washer, while the said piston is thrusted, through the intermediary of a thrust cap and a ball bearing, upon the upper face of the said thrust washeix 8. A machine as claimed in claim '3, in which the two racks of a pair of racks face each other and the pinion cooperating with one of them is in mesh with an identical pinion rigid with a lever which is parallel to a lever of the same length and rigid with the pinion cooperating with the other rack, the free ends of the said levers being pivoted to a connecting link.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 3, in which the two pairs of racks are arranged in parallel planes and the corresponding pinions of the sets of pinions of the two pairs are keyed by pairs on a common shaft.

10, A machine as claimed'in claim 3, in which each rack is mounted for vertical sliding motion in a guide member of channel-form section, secured to that component part with respect to which the rack is able to eifect a vertical movement.

11. A machine as claimed in claim '7, in which the upper face of the said thrust washer and the corresponding face of the ball bearing are spherical.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 7, in which the said thrust cap is keyed on the rod of the said piston and is provided with peripherical projeotions engaging in notches provided in the frame furnished with rollers, so as to prevent relative angular movement of the said thrust cap and the said frame.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 7, in which the thrust washer is secured to the intermediate portion of a sleeve which is rigid with the supporting plate and forms a housing, closed at its bottom, for the said ball bearing and the end portion of the piston rod, the said housing being filled with lubricant.

ANDRE PAUL J OURDAIN.

REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Netherlands 19 6 Number 

